Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

Has it ever happened that you could not understand what gender your interlocutor was? If you still can't decide - honestly ask or follow the person. Below are some suggested methods to help you.

Steps

1. 1 Ask for a name. If this is a uniquely male name (Andrey, Sergey), most likely your interlocutor is a guy, and if the name is uniquely female (Ekaterina, Anastasia), then you are probably communicating with a girl. However, there are times when the name suits both girls and guys (Sasha, Zhenya), for example, the parents were expecting a boy, but they had a girl, but they did not change their name.
   • "Could you say your name again?"
   • "My name is Anastasia Popova, what about you?"
   • "Could you say your name again? I'm not sure I heard it right!"
2. 2 Be aware that the use of the men's / women's restroom is not always a gender determinant. If a person is transgender but early in the transformation phase, they may use the other sex's latrine for safety reasons (transsexuals are at serious risk when using public latrines).
3. 3 A person's hobbies or hobbies may not always correspond to his gender. Some women love to drive fast, and some men enjoy singing songs from Disney cartoons.
4. 4 Primary anatomical features are not always gender-specific. You should not rely on anatomical features in determining gender, for example, rough facial features (square jaw) can be in a masculine woman or a transsexual woman who wants to be perceived as a representative of the fair sex.
5. 5 Study your hairstyle. By the hairstyle, you can approximately determine the gender of the interlocutor. If the other person has a pigtail or a ponytail, most likely you are communicating with a girl.
6. 6 Examine the clothes. Some outfits are a kind of visiting cards for men or women. Unfortunately, this is a rather unreliable method, since now clothes can be universal (especially for men).
7. 7 If a person is transsexual, their physical characteristics do not always correspond to gender. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the hairstyle, accessories, clothes, and more. Often they are the best indicators of gender than physical characteristics. A mistake in addressing can be very upsetting for a person, because people who deliberately want to offend the interlocutor deliberately confuse his gender. Thus, be sure to make sure your guess is correct before contacting someone.
   • Treat the person as he asks you to. If you are confused and mishandled, it may seem like you are teasing and about to insult him.
8. 8 Ask someone. Find someone you trust and ask him the gender of the interlocutor if he knows him. This could be your friend, teacher, or parents. This question should be subtle.
   • "Hey, I wanted to clarify, so as not to accidentally make a mistake. What gender does Sasha consider himself to be?"
9. 9 Take a deep breath and ask politely what gender the person is. This is a sure way to find out if you are communicating with a woman or with a man, of course, if the interlocutor does not belong to the binary gender system. In any case, they will tell you how best to contact him.
   • "Nice to meet you, Sasha. My name is Anastasia Popova. Could I clarify how to contact you?"
   • If the person seems confused, just explain the situation politely. "Don't worry, I often ask people this to avoid making mistakes and hurting anyone's feelings."

Tips

• Sometimes a simple conversation with a person is enough to determine his gender. The voice is one of the best indicators.
• Talk to your brother or sister! It is unlikely that a younger brother or sister will be offended by such a mistake. Try to talk about traits, such as your hairstyle. However, try not to sound weird. Feel the ground first.
• Check your hairstyle. Some hairstyles can be quite clear about gender, but this is not a very reliable method.

Warnings

• Try to be neutral with the person until you decide on the gender.
• Some people do not identify with either gender. If you suspect this may be the case, clarify how to refer to as a boy or a girl.
• Be careful. A mistake can greatly offend a person. Be completely sure of a person's gender before using a personal pronoun.
• Don't ask the question, "Are you a guy or a girl?" Ask them which treatment they prefer, but remember that gender can change over time.